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We all know that practising a video game constantly will gain you a few skills to batter your mates with. But, as the case often is, what if you are competing on a mate's console that you have never/rarely played? Put simply, if you want to win without cheating in an obvious fashion, you must resort to mind-games.
Some psychological tricks are easier to pull off than others... so here are some easy ones to start practising with.
1) THE TEKKEN TAPPING TRAP TRICK
This only works properly with one-on-one beat 'em ups, especially the Tekken series. The idea is to look like you know what you're doing, when really you are just pressing every button in every conceivable combination. By making noises like 'Oh' and 'Ooph' when your character is punching the air in the wrong direction, your human opponent may think you were trying a legitimate, but complicated manouvre. Here comes the cunning part. The owner of the game will then feel obliged to attempt the most show-offy moves possible, to prove that his/her precious game does really require vast amounts of skill, and that they know more moves than you do. As they attempt to recollect what order that X, X, X, X, L, R, X, R, O, X, O move really went in, you move in for the kill with simple light punch/ light kick attacks. I learned that lesson the hard way, getting beats from my girlfriend the first time she had ever played a computer game. I felt totally and completely emasculated.
2) DECEITFUL DISTRACTIONS
This is a favorite of mine, and can be applied to most games and indeed, the game of life. It works especially well if you own a mobile phone. First, you discretely plant your phone by your side with the phone number of your host tapped in and ready to ring. When you get in a sticky situation in the game, simply call the other players phone and cash in on those few seconds before they realise.
There are plenty of variations on this trick, so feel free to experiment. From the classic 'Ooh look, there's a golden eagle over there' to the continous pressing of the pause button to interupt the other player's 'flow', this trick never fails to throw a little stress into the equation.
3) LAST RESORT
You know the feeling. The counters running down and you're clearly not gonna win your game. From your opponent's perspective, they think they're bound to win. So take advantage of that underdog moment. Start talking about an unrelated subject, what club you want to go to, or what game you want to play next. Just as the other player thinks you have conceded and starts to leaf through the TV guide or whatever, pick up your controller and win back those points. Pretend you never stopped concentrating on the game. Pretend you were always going to win. Deny all accusations of 'being unfair'. Then declare how good at that game you are, how you clearly won, and how much you think a rematch would be inappropriate.
There are also some bonafide Jedi style uber-psyche mind tricks that can be used to your advantage, depending on how strong 'the force' is within you.
4) PROJECTION
This trick lies in the motivation for your game-playing. Most gamers play games for fun, and so understandably treat games like they were only games. But, of course, you know better. Convince yourself that winning this game is a life-death situation. If you get beaten to the finish line, imagine your whole family will be licked on the face by Dale Winton. While your opponent is just messing about, you will be on a mission, you will give 110% and you will not let up. If that adrenalin alone does not help you win the game, then the fact that you mate thinks you're a completely dellusional headcase might.
5) DENIAL
This is based less on psychological subversion and more on bare-faced lies. The principle lies in undermining the other player's perception and understanding of what is going on. When they pull off an awesome move, look disappointed rather than impressed. When they win, look pleased. When they imply that they are better than you, laugh heartily. Then explain, with a totally straight face, that you clearly won the game. Insist on that fact until they agree... I mean, its obvious, whoever gets the bigger time in GT3 wins... I mean, that's obvious isn't it?
[In my experience this trick only works with youngsters... but there is nothing quite like ruining a 7 year old nephew's Christmas by announcing that Tony Hawks scores are only valid if they end in a 5 ]
6)IMAGING AND INFLUENCING
A favourite of mine from my earlier adolescent years, when some of my peers considered gaming to be for geeks (or 'goggies' as they were known at the time). It's a trick that will only work against particularly self-conscious individuals, but is possibly the most effective trick of all. Early on in your game, as it becomes clear that you are losing, start talking about how socially retarded game addicts are. Then start talking about how that game exemplifies a 'loser's pastime'. Suggest that displaying any competence at that game should be considered shameful and seriously uncool. Say that the only way anyone could get good at this game is by having no life. Then watch your victory unfurl as your opponent deliberately plays badly in the hope of saving face.
Some psychological tricks are easier to pull off than others... so here are some easy ones to start practising with.
1) THE TEKKEN TAPPING TRAP TRICK
This only works properly with one-on-one beat 'em ups, especially the Tekken series. The idea is to look like you know what you're doing, when really you are just pressing every button in every conceivable combination. By making noises like 'Oh' and 'Ooph' when your character is punching the air in the wrong direction, your human opponent may think you were trying a legitimate, but complicated manouvre. Here comes the cunning part. The owner of the game will then feel obliged to attempt the most show-offy moves possible, to prove that his/her precious game does really require vast amounts of skill, and that they know more moves than you do. As they attempt to recollect what order that X, X, X, X, L, R, X, R, O, X, O move really went in, you move in for the kill with simple light punch/ light kick attacks. I learned that lesson the hard way, getting beats from my girlfriend the first time she had ever played a computer game. I felt totally and completely emasculated.
2) DECEITFUL DISTRACTIONS
This is a favorite of mine, and can be applied to most games and indeed, the game of life. It works especially well if you own a mobile phone. First, you discretely plant your phone by your side with the phone number of your host tapped in and ready to ring. When you get in a sticky situation in the game, simply call the other players phone and cash in on those few seconds before they realise.
There are plenty of variations on this trick, so feel free to experiment. From the classic 'Ooh look, there's a golden eagle over there' to the continous pressing of the pause button to interupt the other player's 'flow', this trick never fails to throw a little stress into the equation.
3) LAST RESORT
You know the feeling. The counters running down and you're clearly not gonna win your game. From your opponent's perspective, they think they're bound to win. So take advantage of that underdog moment. Start talking about an unrelated subject, what club you want to go to, or what game you want to play next. Just as the other player thinks you have conceded and starts to leaf through the TV guide or whatever, pick up your controller and win back those points. Pretend you never stopped concentrating on the game. Pretend you were always going to win. Deny all accusations of 'being unfair'. Then declare how good at that game you are, how you clearly won, and how much you think a rematch would be inappropriate.
There are also some bonafide Jedi style uber-psyche mind tricks that can be used to your advantage, depending on how strong 'the force' is within you.
4) PROJECTION
This trick lies in the motivation for your game-playing. Most gamers play games for fun, and so understandably treat games like they were only games. But, of course, you know better. Convince yourself that winning this game is a life-death situation. If you get beaten to the finish line, imagine your whole family will be licked on the face by Dale Winton. While your opponent is just messing about, you will be on a mission, you will give 110% and you will not let up. If that adrenalin alone does not help you win the game, then the fact that you mate thinks you're a completely dellusional headcase might.
5) DENIAL
This is based less on psychological subversion and more on bare-faced lies. The principle lies in undermining the other player's perception and understanding of what is going on. When they pull off an awesome move, look disappointed rather than impressed. When they win, look pleased. When they imply that they are better than you, laugh heartily. Then explain, with a totally straight face, that you clearly won the game. Insist on that fact until they agree... I mean, its obvious, whoever gets the bigger time in GT3 wins... I mean, that's obvious isn't it?
[In my experience this trick only works with youngsters... but there is nothing quite like ruining a 7 year old nephew's Christmas by announcing that Tony Hawks scores are only valid if they end in a 5 ]
6)IMAGING AND INFLUENCING
A favourite of mine from my earlier adolescent years, when some of my peers considered gaming to be for geeks (or 'goggies' as they were known at the time). It's a trick that will only work against particularly self-conscious individuals, but is possibly the most effective trick of all. Early on in your game, as it becomes clear that you are losing, start talking about how socially retarded game addicts are. Then start talking about how that game exemplifies a 'loser's pastime'. Suggest that displaying any competence at that game should be considered shameful and seriously uncool. Say that the only way anyone could get good at this game is by having no life. Then watch your victory unfurl as your opponent deliberately plays badly in the hope of saving face.
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My tried-and-true method works wonders... I just don't care whether i win or lose, and try to have fun instead. It actually gets me a win, somehow.
Example: My mate is undoubtedly better at TWINE than i am because he owns the game and i don't and the feel is different from Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, both of which i own and i think they are smoother... Anyway, i don't care and play to have fun. This means i interrupt everyone else while they are havin a fire fight to snipe them from afar, or run through the middle, shooting madly, or throwing a sticky mine in the middle... 3 times out of 4, i win. We both know that my mate is the better of us, but he doesn't gloat because i can come back with "is THAT why you only win 1 in every 5 games, then?" (in case you are wondering, the other percentage is won by the AI)
Also, when playing F-zero, i never win, so i compensate by being impossible to kill. Occasionally, my mate will pretend he doesn't want to kill me, so i attack him, then he will have to retaliate, for some reason. I can usually cause him to fall off. If i die, I can always cause my mate to lose all of his health as a result, which usually causes him to lose if i do it at the right time.
I think that thinking lose will bring shame and dishonour on your family who have to live with Dale Winton slobber on their face will not work, unless you make your opponent determined to win. Then he will panic, and make a mistake. In games where i have the upper hand, i make my opponent panic and make mistakes by teasing him. This makes him think that winning is hopeless, which will mean he will give up (unthinkable) or try giving 200%. When people give more effort, they lose a proportionate amount of foresight and thinking power, until they are determined to win and give an extrodinary amount of effort, but with no skill.
I think the proper basic formula for this is S = s/10E Where S is the resultant skill, s is the natural skill, and E is the effort put in.
Try this method instead, because it works. The real idea of video games is not to trounce your mates as it is to have fun. If you use the more direct methods listed in the original post too often to the same person, you will be branded a "cheater" or "bad loser". If you are crap at a game, but can entertain whoever is beating you, you will be branded "crap, but real fun to play" which is good, because then you can convince your mate to play a game you are good at. Even if your mate knows you will beat him, he cannot refuse on those grounds as you played a game that you knew you would lose at. If he refused he would be branded a "bad loser" instead, so he has to let you humiliate him, hopefully in front of other friends of yours.
When playing C & C: retaliation with a link cable on my Playstation, because i am an expert, i like to trounce my friend (after wiping out the AI), but send just enough of an army to let him think we are both equal, when in fact i have an army just as big as my first ready to destroy his base. I can keep my base hidden, usually, so he doesn't know what is in store. Then i send only just enough to finish him, then as he thinks he almost beat me, i show him my screen, which has on it the awesome destructive force i forgot to take with me, just before i finish him off!
This works wonders, but you have to know your enemy. If he is the kind who will think "I never stood a chance, but next time, i'll get him before he can build up his army", then do it. If he is the kind who ignores the fact that he did most of the work in leveling the AI bases, then i will "only - just" beat him, usually thanks to a spare demolition truck or similar few units of mass destruction!
The best way to play games is to show off your awesome abilities in one-player. My friend was astounded when i demonstrated for him exactly how i got that invulererbility cheat in Goldeneye, with almost fifteen seconds to spare!
Example: My mate is undoubtedly better at TWINE than i am because he owns the game and i don't and the feel is different from Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, both of which i own and i think they are smoother... Anyway, i don't care and play to have fun. This means i interrupt everyone else while they are havin a fire fight to snipe them from afar, or run through the middle, shooting madly, or throwing a sticky mine in the middle... 3 times out of 4, i win. We both know that my mate is the better of us, but he doesn't gloat because i can come back with "is THAT why you only win 1 in every 5 games, then?" (in case you are wondering, the other percentage is won by the AI)
Also, when playing F-zero, i never win, so i compensate by being impossible to kill. Occasionally, my mate will pretend he doesn't want to kill me, so i attack him, then he will have to retaliate, for some reason. I can usually cause him to fall off. If i die, I can always cause my mate to lose all of his health as a result, which usually causes him to lose if i do it at the right time.
I think that thinking lose will bring shame and dishonour on your family who have to live with Dale Winton slobber on their face will not work, unless you make your opponent determined to win. Then he will panic, and make a mistake. In games where i have the upper hand, i make my opponent panic and make mistakes by teasing him. This makes him think that winning is hopeless, which will mean he will give up (unthinkable) or try giving 200%. When people give more effort, they lose a proportionate amount of foresight and thinking power, until they are determined to win and give an extrodinary amount of effort, but with no skill.
I think the proper basic formula for this is S = s/10E Where S is the resultant skill, s is the natural skill, and E is the effort put in.
Try this method instead, because it works. The real idea of video games is not to trounce your mates as it is to have fun. If you use the more direct methods listed in the original post too often to the same person, you will be branded a "cheater" or "bad loser". If you are crap at a game, but can entertain whoever is beating you, you will be branded "crap, but real fun to play" which is good, because then you can convince your mate to play a game you are good at. Even if your mate knows you will beat him, he cannot refuse on those grounds as you played a game that you knew you would lose at. If he refused he would be branded a "bad loser" instead, so he has to let you humiliate him, hopefully in front of other friends of yours.
When playing C & C: retaliation with a link cable on my Playstation, because i am an expert, i like to trounce my friend (after wiping out the AI), but send just enough of an army to let him think we are both equal, when in fact i have an army just as big as my first ready to destroy his base. I can keep my base hidden, usually, so he doesn't know what is in store. Then i send only just enough to finish him, then as he thinks he almost beat me, i show him my screen, which has on it the awesome destructive force i forgot to take with me, just before i finish him off!
This works wonders, but you have to know your enemy. If he is the kind who will think "I never stood a chance, but next time, i'll get him before he can build up his army", then do it. If he is the kind who ignores the fact that he did most of the work in leveling the AI bases, then i will "only - just" beat him, usually thanks to a spare demolition truck or similar few units of mass destruction!
The best way to play games is to show off your awesome abilities in one-player. My friend was astounded when i demonstrated for him exactly how i got that invulererbility cheat in Goldeneye, with almost fifteen seconds to spare!
I usually don't read the winning GAD's in full,just briefly skip through them looking to see if they've included big words to attempt to try and impress the judges.
This one,however,got my attention from the start,and made me laugh.
A thoroughly well deserved win my friend.
This one,however,got my attention from the start,and made me laugh.
A thoroughly well deserved win my friend.
Great post...well deserved win
0-MessiaH-0 wrote:
> Or you can come onto them just as they're about to win. One of my
> favourites.
Urgh...
Gay...
Go away...
> Or you can come onto them just as they're about to win. One of my
> favourites.
Urgh...
Gay...
Go away...
Or you can come onto them just as they're about to win. One of my favourites.
Hooray, I'm glad this thread didn't slide straight to the bottom of the forums... but MUM'S THE WORD... If these tricks become common knowledge, there effectiveness could well be undermined!
Mr.Snuggly said:
Another good one is the old penalty stare. If you keep looking at your opponents controller as he's about to tkae the kick, he gets really paranoid, and they always, always put it straight up the middle after that. Try it.
sounds suitably subtle and underhand ...the force is strong in this one!
Mr.Snuggly said:
Another good one is the old penalty stare. If you keep looking at your opponents controller as he's about to tkae the kick, he gets really paranoid, and they always, always put it straight up the middle after that. Try it.
sounds suitably subtle and underhand ...the force is strong in this one!
Yep, just don't let your enemy (is that the right word in this case) see what your doing on that pad. In fact, don't make it obvious try doing it to him/her by looking in the corner of your eye.
Damn cheaters.
Damn cheaters.
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